Moncton is the largest city in New Brunswick and the unofficial hub of the Maritime provinces — a bilingual, unpretentious place where English and French run together in conversation as naturally as the rivers that converge here. It is not a city most travellers seek out for its own sake, but it is a convenient base for exploring the region, and it has enough character to hold your attention for a day or two.
The most famous attraction is Magnetic Hill, a stretch of road on the northwest edge of town where your car appears to roll uphill when you put it in neutral. It is a well-known optical illusion and a satisfying roadside oddity. The Petitcodiac River, which runs through the centre of town, has a tidal bore — a wave that rolls upstream twice daily as the Bay of Fundy's massive tides push in. The bore has improved dramatically since a causeway was modified in 2010, and on the biggest tides it is genuinely impressive.
Downtown Moncton has a good collection of restaurants and cafes, particularly along Main Street, reflecting the city's Acadian French and English mix. The Dieppe area just south of town has a large Acadian population and hosts the Festival acadien de Caraquet in August, one of the region's biggest cultural events.